Fork Report: ASU drops first Pac-12 game at Oregon

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a basketball game. So, we will give you a fork report, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from ASU’s loss to Oregon on January 13. Final score: Oregon 68, Arizona State 65.

The Good

Jahii Carson had one of his most balanced games (20 points, seven rebounds and four assists) in a Sun Devils uniform but it wasn’t enough, as Oregon made seven clutch free throws in the last minute to prevail 68-65.

Carson’s backcourt mate, Evan Gordon, also had a nice night offensively. The junior guard scored 17 points, including 10 in the first half.

Junior center Jordan Bachynski came in with a Pac-12-leading 4.6 blocks per game. While he didn’t match that mark Sunday (3), Bachynski was just as effective at the defensive end against Tony Woods and Waverly Austin. Afraid to go at Bachynski in the paint, the duo settled for shots away from the rim and combined to score 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Carrick Felix found his touch in the second half, but his greatest impact was on the defensive end. The Ducks’ senior leader, E.J. Singler (10.5 points per game), was quiet Sunday night, as Felix held him to seven points on 1-of-9 shooting.

The Bad

Jahii Carson may have had the better statistics in the battle of freshmen point guards, but the former Mesa High star did little to stop Dominic Artis in the second half. Offensively, Artis had his way with Carson, specifically on dribble penetration moves to the basket. He finished with 10 points, three assists and two steals.

Carson scored six of ASU’s final nine points but was not even targeted in the final seconds, as Carrick Felix was forced to take a desperation game-tying three-point shot at the end of regulation.

The Sun Devils have shown signs of improvement when it comes to holding on to the rock over their last 10 games (11.1 turnovers per game), but Sunday they regressed slightly, committing 12 turnovers.

In a tight game, depth can often make a difference. Herb Sendek only used three reserves against the Ducks and their impact was hardly felt. Chris Colvin, Eric Jacobsen and Ruslan Pateev combined for three points. Luckily, the Ducks’ bench unit wasn’t much better, scoring just nine points.

He Said It:

“I thought there were some 50/50 plays — balls that could go either way that we just didn’t come up with. They had some offensive rebounds that were very timely for them and very untimely for us down the stretch there. I thought that they went up and made some plays and we didn’t, and I think that was the difference in the game right there.” — ASU associate head coach Dedrique Taylor

Noted

• The loss snaps ASU’s six-game win streak and knocks them from the ranks of the unbeaten in Pac-12 play.

• Sunday night’s contest marked the first time the Sun Devils played in Matthew Knight Arena. Ironically, ASU’s last game in Eugene was a win in Oregon’s finale at McArthur Court.

• Carrick Felix has scored in double figures in 16 straight games.

• After pulling in a season-high 49 rebounds against Oregon State, ASU was actually out-rebounded by Oregon 36-33.

Up Next

The Sun Devils will host rival UA at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday, January 19. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 12:30 p.m. and can be heard on Arizona Sports 620.